http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/index/ Blog for Wee Paws Animal Sanctuary, Las Vegas, NV. en cynicaldog@cox.net Copyright 2007 2007-09-25T11:46:00-08:00 http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/messages_from_your_animal_companion/ http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/messages_from_your_animal_companion/#When:11:46:00Z I’m very excited to announce that we now have a great fundraising item!  It’s a deck of oracle cards called, ”Messages From Your Animal Companion”.  The creator of the cards, Angelica del Mar, designed them to be used as a tool by anyone who’d like to have better communication with their pets.  You can use the cards successfully with absolutely no training; just read the brief instructional description card included in each deck and you’re ready to go.  Here’s what they look like: To summarize the included directions, you shuffle the cards while concentrating on a question you’d like to ask a specific pet, whether it be a parrot, a cat, a dog, a horse, a snake, or any other companion animal who shares your life.  You then pull a card from the deck and the card should contain some revealing information.  Some of the cards feature a simple “Yes” or “No” answer, but others contain more detailed issues about your pet’s physical and emotional well-being.  Some of the cards may seem to offer obscure information, but Angelique just suggests you look within yourself and use your instincts to reveal what the card could mean in your situation.  For example, if you see a card with a bird asking to have its nails and wings clipped, and you only own a cat, you should probably still check your cats nails just to make sure they’re not in need of a trim.  Sometimes the universe communicates with irony. I did two sample readings this evening on my dog Dante, a 7 year old Anatolian shepherd.  The first question I asked/thought to Dante was whether or not he was happy and content.  The response card I drew from the deck said that Dante felt safe with me, and that I should feel safe with him because he will protect me.  That’s very interesting because Dante is a breed specifically designed to protect, but not to fight, and he will guard our bodies in certain situations.  I then did another shuffle of the desk to clear out the first question, and as I shuffled I asked Dante another question:  Was he feeling well?  I’d noticed he’s been licking one leg a bit recently, not really a concern because he tends to have skin allergies and the leg looks perfectly fine.  He also gets a little stressed, and we’ve got an unusually high number of cats in the house right now and that can get him overly-excited.  The card I pulled for an answer featured a horse saying, “I have an ailment, injury, pain, or wound”.  Interesting.  Of course you should never use any sort of “toy” to make medical decisions about your pets, and I would certainly take Dante to a vet if his random licking started to be damaging.  In light of the card, however, it might be the extra push to get Dante to the vet this week instead of next week.  I don’t think there’s anything hugely wrong, but I’d rather be an overly-protective parent than to let this go too long.  If I was to mention what happened to Angelica, she might suggest that my own mind influenced the card which emerged, that is, my thoughts of illness brought forth an illness card, not Dante’s thoughts of illness.  There are some notes to this effect on the instructional card. I had initially thought I would offer some free or low-cost readings for people via email, for example, you send me your pet’s name and your question, and I’ll email you back the response I received from the cards.  However, I’m obviously not “in tune” with pets I don’t own, and I don’t know if the results could be considered accurate or genuine.  I’d be happy to give a few free readings a try if you’re interested, and I’ll conduct them with the utmost sincerity and good intentions, so if this interests you, just jot me a note (the email address is at the top of the page).  In the interests of full-disclosure, I’m not a religious person, and I don’t even think I’m much of a spiritual person, but I do believe that it’s possible to communicate with our pets and other animals in one way or another. In the long run, if communicating with your pet(s) on a recurring basis interests you, you’ll probably want to buy your own deck.  I’ll be selling them for $30, including shipping, so we don’t need to worry about fussing around with shipping calculations.  I don’t want to buy too make decks before I know what sort of interest people have in them, so there’s a chance it could take me a few extra days to ship if I have to order new decks from the warehouse.  Otherwise, I’ll always try to be a “ship next day” sort of person. If you’d like to order a deck or two (they’d make an unusual gift for a person with a beloved pet), please use the PayPal link on the right, under the image of the cards.  It’s the button which says, “Buy Now”.  Or, just click here to order.  Every purchase supports Wee Paws, and all our cats and dogs and parrots, and we sincerely appreciate it. 2007-09-25T11:46:00-08:00 http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/our_current_fundraising_drive/ http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/our_current_fundraising_drive/#When:10:27:00Z It sounds sort of silly to call it a “fundraising drive”, but hey, that’s probably the professional term for it.  We’re currently trying to raise funds to pay for laser eye surgery for Spiderman, a cat with severe glaucoma.  Spiderman is almost totally blind from congenital glaucoma, and he needs surgery to help reduce the intra-ocular pressure in his eyes and to ease discomfort.  The vet is donating his services for the surgery, but the entire cost of the procedure will still run about $700 for the pre-op tests and other materials expenses.  So far, we’ve raised $400, but we still need another $300 before the surgery can be scheduled.  I’d normally put the extra costs on my Care Credit card or a regular credit card, but I’m totally tapped out… I’ve got no money left on my cards, and I just can’t afford these costs.  I wish I could, but I care for so many animals, many of them sick, that it puts a huge burden on our finances and we’ve reached the point of being empty. If you’d like to make a donation towards Spiderman’s surgery, please use the PayPal button on the sidebar (the one which says, “Make a Donation").  Every little bit helps.  You don’t even need to specify that the donation is for Spiderman unless you want to, because everything raised right now will be used for his care.  I don’t usually actively seek donations, but Spiderman is a special guy and I want him to be comfortable, and I want him to find a new home.  I can’t place him until he’s had surgery. Thanks for helping, or for just wishing you could help… a little moral support is always nice, too 2007-08-01T10:27:00-08:00 http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/ways_you_can_help_us/ http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/ways_you_can_help_us/#When:11:12:00Z Thank you for your interest in helping Wee Paws and the animals who pass through here.  Something like $3.50 may not mean more to you than a latte at Starbucks, but to me, it means 10 lbs. of bone-in, dark meat chicken that can be turned into three days worth of cat food.  That’s my way of saying that no donation is too tiny, and every single one is received with the utmost gratitude.  If you’d like to send in a donation, you’ll find our PayPal donation button on the sidebar of the front page. If you don’t feel comfortable just sending cash to strangers, that’s perfectly understandable.  You could support our veterinary bills by sending a payment directly to our veterinarian, and asking for the payment to be applied to the “Wee Paws Animal Sanctuary” account.  That way, you know we’re not out partying with the cats and recklessly imbibing in catnip.  To phone in a donation to our veterinary expenses account, please contact Creature Comforts Animal Hospital, (702) 658-7339.  Don’t forget to specify the donation is for Wee Paws. We see a second veterinarian, an eye specialist, and he’ll be performing any necessary work on Spiderman’s eyes.  We’ll be setting up a specific “Wee Paws” account at that clinich next week, but if you want to make a contribution towards Spiderman’s eye care and inevitable surgery, contact Veterinary Ophthalmology Service at (702) 457-6523.  If you donate prior to July 27th, please specify that you’re making a payment/donation to the account of Nancy Ross.  I’ll try to fax in the paperwork for Wee Paws in the next couple of days, so the nonprofit account can be setup and waiting. If you prefer classics like checks or money orders, you can reach us by mail at Wee Paws Animal Sanctuary, P.O. Box 750303, Las Vegas, NV 89136.  We don’t visit the post office box very often as we don’t expect to receive much mail, so if you’d like our home address, just drop me a line () and I’ll give it to you. I’ve got some items to offer as gifts for donations, and I’ll get this entry updated ASAP. Thank you so much for your kindness.  None of us can do everything, but we can all do something. 2007-07-17T11:12:00-08:00 http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/visit_my_personal_blog/ http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/visit_my_personal_blog/#When:11:52:00Z I like to maintain this website for official “Wee Paws” business, but there often just isn’t enough time.  Because of that, I’d like to invite you to visit my personal blog at The Blog Pound.  I often post photos of foster kittens there, talk about animal health issues, and generally write a lot more than I do here.  If you’ve accidentally dropped in on this site and it seems rather dead to you, it’s not—it’s just not my first priority.  My first priority is cleaning up kitten poop, and I write about it at The Blog Pound.  I never post poop pictures, lucky you. 2007-06-12T11:52:00-08:00 http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/medical_wishlist/ http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/medical_wishlist/#When:11:38:00Z There are certain medical items which can always come in handy around here.  Some are prescription, some are OTC, but I’m listing them here as a way of keeping an eye on things I either need now, or may need in the future.  I’ll call it my “Medical wishlist”, but it’s really sort of a virtual shopping list.  I’ll forget things if I don’t write them down. EMLA cream—good for numbing skin of pets needing fluid therapy.  Most animals tolerate this without a peep or any indication of discomfort, but others seem to benefit from use of EMLA, or something like a GIF-tube. L-lysine powder is a requirement with so many cats from so many backgrounds.  The slightest bit of stress can lead to virus shedding, and a daily dose of L-lysine keeps it in check.  This is good stuff! Ear cleaning solution, in this case, I like Epi-Otic.  Some four-legged resident of this household invariably has dirty ears at any given time. ...to be continued Our Wishlist 2007-06-12T11:38:00-08:00 http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/the_over_looked_pionus/ http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/the_over_looked_pionus/#When:12:00:00Z I’ve long been a fan of Pionus parrots.  They aren’t the flashiest of birds, but they’re spunky, funny, and full of personality.  My first Pionus was a white-capped named “Milquetoast”, and I still have one of his offspring, “Pepe”, who’s about fifteen years old.  I’ve never been able to find a really good book about Pionus, so I was thrilled to find out that Avian Publications had put out a new title called, ”Pionus Parrots: A Complete Guide”.  I trust the publisher to produce only the finest titles (they publish Dr. Greg Harrison’s avian guides for veterinarians, for example), and I sure that the book about Pionus will be excellent.  I’m going to order a copy for myself today, and will eventually get around to reviewing it! Being in rescue, I just can’t ethically go out and buy a bird from a breeder, as I end up with so many castoffs as it is.  My bird room overflow-eth with unwanted conures, especially, and I’d have no justification to bring another bird home to satisfy my own interests when it would be taking away space and resources I could use for a future rescue parrot.  However, I will say this—if a Blue-headed Pionus was to end up in my rescue because it needed a new home, I’d be very happy to be spending time with it. 2007-05-15T12:00:00-08:00 http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/our_wishlist/ http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/our_wishlist/#When:05:29:00Z KatKabin Outdoor Cat House in copper:  This is a beautiful item I could put outside as a feral cat shelter or waystation, without incurring the wrath of the neighbourhood association.  I think it would be quite attractive on the front porch. Acrylic Pet Intensive Care Unit:  I’d love one of these for neonatal foster kittens, as well as for treatment of sick birds. We can never have enough towels!  KatWALLks: This type of system would allow us to have more cats in the house, and would give them all an added sense of security.  I really like the corner balcony units. We definitely need an accurate thermometer for our foster kittens.  Normal rectal thermometers are just too large. 2007-03-19T05:29:00-08:00 http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/our_first_donation/ http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/our_first_donation/#When:01:00:00Z We’re very excited to have recieved our first donation today, January 1st.  What a great way to start the new year!  This is the first donation which hasn’t come out of our own pockets, and it will be used to help pay for TJ’s neutering on Friday.  Thank you! 2007-01-02T01:00:00-08:00 http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/aspca_community_forums/ http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/aspca_community_forums/#When:06:00:00Z The ASPCA now offers a number of interactive elements to their website, including a blog, and community forums.  This is a great way to stay on top of all the happenings in the world of animal welfare, and a place to interact with fellow animal lovers.  If you’d like to visit, here’s the link:  ASPCA Community. In the News 2006-11-16T06:00:00-08:00 http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/animal_planet_purchases_petfindercom1/ http://www.weepaws.org/index.php/site/animal_planet_purchases_petfindercom1/#When:03:34:00Z It was announced today that Animal Planet and Discovery Communications have purchased Petfinder.com.  I assume that will mean only good changes for Petfinder, which can remain a valuable resource while having more funds available for advertising.  The current Petfinder staff will remain at their jobs, and I’m sure they’re excited at this new ability to reach so many potential adoptive families.  Congratulations, Petfinder! In the News 2006-11-03T03:34:00-08:00